Wire-stretcher.



No. 844,263. 'IATENTED PEB. I2, 1907.

- I. G. DIETRICH.

WIRE STREIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30,1906.

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, UNITED STATES ra'rnnr enrich. I

JOHN G. DIETRICH, OF TREMONT, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed April 30, 1906. Serial NoK 314,515.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, JOHN G.-DinTRIcH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tremont, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do f hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to wire- Y stretchers, and has for its ob] ect to provide a stringerwires of the wire fabric or fencing, so

as to prevent kinking or otherwise injuring the same during the stretching operation,

and, further, to provide new and novel means for locking the clamping'means in a closed relation.

The invention consists, essentially, in combininOp with a screw, by means of which the strething apparatus is operated, a clamping device, the same being designed for clamping all of the horizontal or stringer wires of the l fence, comprising two clamping parts, preferably made of steel or other metal, one of the-said parts consisting of two upright angleirons,'which are bolted together at intervals throughout their length and which also serve,

as a pivotal connection for suitable fingers or bars disposed between the said angle-iron.

. The other partl of the clamp is preferably a rectangular bar adapted to be locked to the angle-irons by passing the lingers or bars pivotally connected thereto through slots or openings in the last-mentioned part of the said clamp, which are provided with transverse openings, through which are adapted to be inserted suitable wedges for securely clamping the parts 'of the clamp together, and upon the longitudinal Stringer-wires, which are adapted to be carried between said arts of the clamp. The wedges referred to iiave preferably attached thereto chains or other suitable means which are secured to the parts of the clamp consisting of the angleirons by means of the said bolts.

For a further and full description of the invention herein and themerits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the A result, reference is had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible' ofmodification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved stretching apparatus, the same being shown in the position it occupies when stretching a vfence fabric. Fig. 2 is an enlarged edge view of the clamping parts. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section through Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section of the clamping parts similar to that shown in Fig, 3, but taken through the lower end thereof and showing in plan a shoe attached to the clamping parts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures ofthe drawings. f

That part of the apparatus which is adapted to clamp the body of the fabric or engage the horizontal or stringer wires thereof, whereby the fabric may be stretched,con sists, preferably, of a pair of angle-iron uprights 1 and 2 and a rectangular bar 3, of steel or other suitable metal.

The angle-iron uprights are preferablycon- 'nected to form one of the parts of theclamp by means of the'bolts 4, which are adapted vto be engaged by the nuts 5vfor securely connecting the said parts. The bolts are spaced at desired intervals in the length of the -uprights 1 and 2, and interposed between the matching faces of the said angle-irons 1 and 2 are pivotally carried the fingers or bars 6, the same being connected to the uprights l and 2 and between the same by means of the bolts 4, as shown. The connection of the fingers or bars 6 with the angle-irons l and 2 is such that the said fingers or bars may freely oscillate on the bolts 4, which serve as a pivot for the same.

The bar 3 referred to is provided wi th a series of slots or openings 7 through the same and placed at intervals throughout the length of the bar to coincide with the spacing and disposition of the fingers or bars 6, which have been described as connected with the 4uprights l and 2.

IOO

IOS

fabric or the horizontal Stringer-wires of a fence the part of the clamp comprising the angle-uprights 1 and 2 are preferably disposed in a vertical position on one side of the fabric or the longitudinal or Stringer wires of a fence, and the bar 3 is placed in an upright position upon the opposite of the fabric or the wires of the fence and so as to enable an operator in assembling the parts to insert the fingers or bars 6 through the slots o r openings 7 of the bar 3, which coincide therewith. With the parts of the clamp comprising the angle-uprights 1 and 2 and the bar 3 assembled in this relation they are caused to impinge the wires of bthe fabric and held securely together for the purpose of stretching' the said wires or the fabric by means of a series of wedges or tapered bars 3, which are adapted to be inserted through transverse slots or openings 9 in the 'lingers or bars 6. When assembled in this position, the inner longitudinal edges of the wedges 3 are adapted to lie adjacent to or in juxta osition to the outer face of the bar 3 an transversely through the length thereof, as shown in the figures. riChaty the wedges or tapered bars 3 may always be ready for an operator to employ the same for connecting the parts to the clamp, as described, it is preferable to securethe same in a suitable manner to one or the other of the parts of the clamp, but, preferably, to the angle-uprights 1 or 2. I accomplish this by securing an eye or ring 10 to the wedges 3, to which are connected chains 11, which are attached at their opposite ends to plates, rings, or eyes 12, which are securely held in place on the part consisting of the uprights 1 and 2 by means of the bolts and nuts 4 and 5, as seen in'Figs. 2 and 3, although some other mode of attaching the wedges 3 may be employed, if desirable.

In Fig. 1 a wire fabric comprising horizontal or stringerwires a and stay-wires t is shown engaged by the clamp consisting of the parts above referred to and in the manner described, and the view further illustrates that the fabric is being drawn or stretched toward a post c, to which it is intended to permanently secure the same, and the means which I employ in connection with the clamp above referred to for stretching the fabric will now be described.

A screw or thread-bar is indicated as 13 and has a threaded engagement with a sleeve 14, which is interiorly threaded, although the threads have not been shown, and the sleeve just referred to is provided with a pair of ears or loops 15, to which are connected rods 16, which diverge from each other at their opposite ends and preferably connect with eyes or loops 17 of suitable members 18, which are adapted to encircle or otherwise engage the clamp consisting of the parts 1, 2, and 3, as shown. In operation the screw or threadbar 13 passes through a guide 19, which is attached to an upright 20, which at its lower end is adapted to enter the ground, and the part 19 not only serves as a guide, as specified, but also as a support for the outer free end of the screw or thread-bar 13, while the inner end of said screw or thread-bar engages the post c, as shown. To operate the screw or thread-bar 13, I provide the crank 21, which is adapted to have a detachable connection with the squared end 22 of the screw or thread-bar 13. Thus it will be seen that imparting a proper location to the screw or thread-bar 13 when the same is engaging the post in the manner shown will have a tendency to draw or move the sleeve 14 along the thread-bar and correspondingly move the clamp consisting of the parts 1., 2, and 3 and also the fabric or Stringer wires of a fence, which are engaged thereby through and by means of the rod 16, connected with the sleeve 14 and with the clamp in the manner shown.

I have provided in connection with the lower end of the clamp, which consists of the parts 1, 2, and 3, a shoe which is indicated as 23. portion 24, 'whereby the same maybe secured, by means of the lower bolt 4, to the parts 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 4. The shoe 23 is also provided with the forwardly and upwardly turned extension 25, which is disposed infront of the angle 1 and the part 3 of the clamp, as shown, and the rear end of the said shoe is provided with the upwardlyturned portion 26.

The office of the shoe, it is believed, will be readily understood, being provided to adapt the lower end of the clamp to pass over uneven ground and prevent the engagement thereof with the obstructions which will twist the clamp and fabric out of line. l/Vhen the shoe engages an uneven portion of the ground, it will ride over the same easily and cause the clamp and fabric to be lifted vertically and again settled to its normal position as the shoe leaves the uneven portion of the ground.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1; In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a clamp comprising a plurality of parts, one of said parts consisting of two upright angle-irons, the other part being a rectangular bar, means for detachably connecting the angle-irons and bar of the clamp together, a thread-bar, a sleeve having a threaded engagement therewith, and connections between the sleeve and clamp.

2. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a clampcomprising a plurality lof parts, one of said parts having pivotally connected thereto a series of fingers, the other part provided with a Series of slots through which it is adapted to insert the n- This shoe is provided with the upturned IOC IIJ

. pivotally connected therebetween by saidgers, means engaging said fingers for locking the parts together, a thread-bar, and connections between the thread-bar and the clamp.

3. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a clamp comprising a plurality of parts, one of said parts having pivotally connected thereto a series of fingers, the other part provided with a series of slots through which it is adapted to insert the fingers, wedge-shaped members adapted to be inserted through the finger for locking the parts of the clamp together, a thread-bar, and connection between the thread-bar and clamp.

4. A clamp for the purposes specified, comprising a plurality of parts, a series of fingers pivotally connected with one of said parts, the other part provided with a series of slotted openings through which it is adapted to insert the said fingers, and means for locking the said fingers to prevent the separation of the said parts.

5. A clam for the purposes specified, comprising ofp a plurality of parts, a series of fingers pivotally connected with one of said parts, the other part provided with a series of slotted openings through Wliichit is adapted to insert the fingers, and wedge shaped members adapted to engage the fingers for locking the parts of the clamp together.

6. A clamp, for the urposes specified, comprising a plurality o parts, one of said parts consisting of a pair of uprights suitably bolted together at intervals, a series of fingers interposed between said uprights and bolts, the other part provided with a series of slotted openings through which it is adapted to insert the ngers, and wedge shaped members adapted to engage the fingers for locking the parts of the clamp together.

7. A clamp for the purposes specified, comprising a plurality of parts, one of said parts consisting of a pair of uprights suitably bolted together at intervals, a series of fingers interposed between said uprights and ivotally connected therebetween by said bolts and each of said fingers provided with transverse slots, the other part provided with a series of slotted openings through which it is adapted to insert the ngers aforesaid, and Wedge-shaped members adapted to be passed through the transverse slots of the lingers for locking the parts of the clamp together.

8. A clamp for the urposes specified, comprising a plurality ofp arts,` one of said parts consisting of a pair o uprights suitably bolted together at intervals, a series of fingers interposed between said uprights and pivotally connected therebetween by said bolts and each of said fingers provided with transverse slots, the other part provided with a series of slotted openings through which it is adapted to insert the fingers aforesaid, a series of wedge-shaped members adapted to be passed through the transverse slots of the fingers aforesaid for locking the parts of the clamp together, and means for attaching the said wedge-shaped members to one of the parts of the clamp.

9. In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a clamp consisting of a plurality of parts, a series of wedge-shaped members for detachably connecting the said parts, means for attaching the wedge-shaped members to one of the parts of the clamp, a thread-bar, a sleeve having a threaded en gagement with the bar, a pair of rods connected with the sleeve and at their opposite ends with the clamp, a support and drag at the outer end of the bar, and means for operating said bar.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. DIETRICH. Witnesses:

CHAs. W. LA PoRTE, RoB'r. N. MoCoRMrcK.' 

